The Secret Wireless

  Some reactions to Matthew Bates’ Salvation by Allegiance Alone & Gospel Allegiance . Matthew Bates, associate professor of theology at Quincy University, has written two books ( Salvation by Allegiance Alone and Gospel Allegiance) that argue for a change in the way Christians, especially Protestants, talk about faith, the Gospel, justification, and salvation. This is not a book review, but more of a theological reaction to Bates’ arguments. These are just short observations. Obviously, to do justice to these arguments would take an entire book or two, and that is just not going to happen. First, the good.   In both Salvation and Gospel Allegiance Bates lays out what he believes should be the actual content of the Church’s Gospel. His summary looks a great deal like Saint Paul’s summary in First Corinthians 15 and the second article of the Apostles’ Creed. This is a needed reminder that a preacher is not called merely to talk about the Gospel, but is actually to ...

If you have only seen the movie you are missing a big piece of the picture. The Princess Bride by William Goldman was famously transformed into a film directed by Rob Reiner in 1987.  The movie is a favorite of many for its delightful combination of romance, chivalry, adventure, fantasy, and humor.  What many do not know is that the book is even better. Goldman's book claims to be an abridged "good parts version" of an earlier work of fictional author S. Morgenstern.  Goldman states, over the course of a 27 page prologue, that his retelling is what his father used to read to him as a boy, leaving out all the boring stuff about politics, economics, and history, while delighting him with the story of true love and high adventure.  One cannot help but smile when you realize that this is precisely the part of the book you are going to skip over the next time you read it. The actual story is, obviously, far more detailed than the movie version....